Marketing, advertising & media intelligence

In an effort to overcome the colour discrimination that causes consumers to opt for black, white or grey apparel instead of experimenting with alternative options in the palette, AS Colour has launched an experiential campaign via FCB that encourages shoppers to diversify their wardrobes.

The Colourmatic machine, currently situated outside the AS Colour at Britomart, gives the user's outfit a score out of 100, identifies the weakest colour link, and then provides recommendations on which of the 50-plus in-store colours might help to improve the overall outfit rating.

Partly based on colour science theory, partly based on which items are on trend, the device measures a mix of objective and subjective standards to determine whether the colours in the user's outfit match, whether the outfit is original, and whether the user is up to date with the latest trends.

“When it comes to making style decisions, many shoppers struggle to know exactly what they are looking for. The Colourmatic acts as your own personal fashion critic, identifying where you need help and providing solutions. We are very excited to be a part of the launch of such a revolutionary product,” says Stephen Richardson, art director at AS Colour.

“It would be fantastic to share this experience with as many of our customers as possible. We are looking forward to seeing how this innovative product impacts the fashion world as it deconstructs the shopping experience, making it easier than ever to find what you need,” he adds.

And, according to FCB copywriter Matt Williams, the Colourmatic has already done a good job helping consumers make smart fashion-related decisions over the last five weeks.

"Over 10,000 people have used the Colourmatic, sales are up by 16 percent, [and], after purchasing their new colour, people using the Colourmatic have improved their outfits by an average of 28 percent [after making the recommended changes]."

To develop the technology and algorithms powering the machine, AS Colour and FCB worked alongside Brice Clark, the director ofThe Art Watchers Collective.

“The programme is complex; it took close to six months of research and construction and involved more than 100,000 lines of code. We knew as soon as we started that it was going to be an incredible piece of technology. We are thrilled to have been involved throughout the process,” says Clark.

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On Monday, Whittaker’s launched its latest novelty chocolate-lolly mash up with a chocolatey answer to retro bakesale treat coconut ice. The Coconut Ice Surprise chocolate has a twist though, 20c from each block goes to Plunket – a charity which New Zealanders agree is a worthy cause. However, to relate the chocolate to the charity, Whittaker's has built the campaign around baby gender reveal parties, causing a backlash from the public who argue gender norms have expanded beyond blue for boys and pink for girls.

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